Alter Ego
by KimiruMai
Summary: *Revised.*They both want the Dragon Balls, him to repay a debt, and her to find her perfect man. Amidst crowded streets and loud festivals, Bulma Briefs will meet two men; one with the blackest of hair and one with mane that shines golden like the sun. Twins they say, but likenesses can only go so far...and as they say, Peter Parker is never present when Spiderman is...
1. Alternate

**FOR THOSE WHO ARE READING FOR THE FIRST TIME: **

**Welcome! I'm glad you've decided to read my story. I would appreciate it greatly if you would review. Reviews give me inspiration and motive. In fact, a review of this story had encouraged me to get off my butt and do some work on it. This story is a completely revised and refurbished part of the original, which I created a while ago before my writing technique had blossomed to its current level. I hope you enjoy the story!**

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**FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE READ ALTER EGO BEFORE:**

**Well, I said I would revise the shit out of this thing, and I have. Or at least, I've begun to. **

**Basically, Alter Ego is going to be an entirely different story with the same basic plot. Please don't comment about missing scenes. If a scene is missing, then I have dismissed it because of personal hatred for it. Some scenes (probably quite a few) will no longer exist in the story. I have hated how this story was written for quite a while now, and even though you guys may love it, I can assure you that newer, much better scenes are coming. It will be longer and better thought out, with more regularly lengthened chapters and much less filler. The OOCness will attribute only to Majin, because he is for the most part an OC with a personality that I designed. I do encourage you to read this over, because it will be much, much different. Hope you like it!**

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**Summary: They both want the Dragon Balls, him to repay a debt, and her to find her perfect man. She will go the distance, he will fly it. Amidst crowded streets and loud festivals, Bulma Briefs will meet two men; one with the blackest of hair and one with mane that shines golden like the sun. Twins they say, so much like her best friends in some aspects, but likenesses can only go so far…and after all, 'Peter Parker is never around when Spiderman is'…**

**Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and all of its characters belong to Akira Toriyama, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, etc.**

**Song Prompt: Split Personality ~ P!nk**

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**Chapter 1: Alternate**

****_If a tree falls in the middle of a forest and no one's around to hear it, does it make a sound?_

I sat in the tree, my tail thumping the smooth bark, my eyes a little under half lidded with boredom and my lips turned slightly into a frown. It was the usual look that donned my face; I didn't much no how to express anything else, besides fury and hatred. Arrogance had once been a part of my character, but perhaps that was gone now too. I couldn't say. The only reason I knew anything of the change was because Kakarot had mentioned it to me. Otherwise, I'd have simply though that life here on Earth was dull.

I have been here for some time now. It has been about 2 years since the defeat of Frieza. I smirk a bit, I nearly chuckle, because Frieza made such a mistake…he kept me as his pet, and neglected to finish off an escaping infant. And then, both had ascended into the thing he feared most, both of them together more than enough to destroy an army of Ice-jinn, prepared and willing to deliver to him his fate, his head, on a silver platter. The thought amuses me, especially since I did not ascend until after he had killed me. The anger (the first righteous anger I had felt in a long time, or perhaps just the most pure of such that I have felt) forced the power to the surface. I still look back and snicker at the look of shock on his face. Still…

The event wasn't nearly as fantastic as I had thought. The glory that I had longed for was tainted somehow, and not only because Kakarot had become a Super Saiyan at the same time as I. Something about sending that last beam through his heart (Lord knows Kakarot wouldn't finish him off) was disappointing. Not only was he too weak to be a threat to me even had I had my hands bound and my eyes blindfolded, but I had to share the victory.

What's more, my lifelong quest was over. I could have anything I wanted, and yet, I had nothing. I did not want to rule the empire any longer. I did not want to waste that skill on something that was gained so dishonorably. It felt wrong to try to rule over anything that I had not gained by my own hand (planets people like me were sent to did not live, so it'd have been none of my work), especially when my kingdom would consist of no Saiyans.

So what did I do then? I had nowhere to live, no place to go. There would not be a planet that would let me exist the way I pleased. Saiyans were social creatures; I did not want to live in a place that I had been forced to eradicate simply because I couldn't get a moment's peace. So what now?

Come to Earth, Kakarot says. Live with me and my family, he offers. It would be safe there, he explains, because no one knew about us.

I told him that that was a very stupid idea, and that Earthlings were idiotic creatures if they had never heard of Saiyan might, especially with him living there. And yet, here I am. Sitting in a plum tree. On Earth.

Bored as hell.

Kakarot's harpy was not pleased. I was perfectly fine (I preferred) to find my own place to live, but Kakarot insisted. The raven-haired female could pass for a tailless, muscle-less Saiyan, but the way the woman screeches is enough to burn a man's eardrums clean though. Good food, though.

I frowned more sharply as I slowly sank my teeth into the soft, savory flesh of the fruit, the saccharine scent of it floating to my nose as I inhale deeply, my tail thumping softly against the tree. The sweet, delicious fruit reminds me of something from my home, my planet, but I can't place it. I can't remember.

Despite my impeccable memory, it has been 21 years since I have last seen my home planet, my parents. The sights of Vegeta-sei have long faded from my memory, everything besides the rust-colored sand and the blood red sky with its two burning suns. My parents faces have begun to fade as well…I can just barely remember them at all. The closest I ever get is my father's bearded mouth, smirking proudly at me, and my mother's teasing red lips. She had a smart mouth, my mother did. They were both powerful, both strategists, two traits that I proudly inherited. I remember my father's spikey hair, a near perfect match to mine, albeit a shade lighter. I remember my mother's long, unruly hair that she always kept in a wild ponytail, the darkest of black coal.

I remember these things because I know them to be facts, not because I can see them in my mind. I don't remember their eyes much. Some piece of their faces always seems cloudy to me.

Mother used to sing old Saiyan hymns to me as a child. She had a strong voice, steady, alto. There was one in particular that she enjoyed singing to me, though I had often insisted that I was too old for lullabies. She would often give me a reason to sing it anyway…learning culture or some such nonsense. I can't remember any of the words, but I know it had something to do with our braves coming home safe from war.

My mother was such a sap.

Nappa was a sap too, sometimes.

I frown, more deeply this time. I think, perhaps, that I…no, I don't regret anything. I am Vegeta, Prince of Saiyans. I do not have regrets. Never.

But (maybe), if I could go back, I would not kill him a second time.

I was never particularly fond of Nappa. He had been my guard for as long as I could remember, a sort of 'nursemaid' when I was an infant. Still, he had never given me any reason to enjoy his presence. After a certain point in his age, he became seemingly more stupid. He was a reckless fighter that relied on brute strength. I often wondered if he suffered brain injury in battle, for he used to be a very skilled General.

Or perhaps the madness that is – was – Frieza just got to him. It wouldn't surprise me.

The reason I am thinking of this is not remorse. Remorse and regret are things that I long ago gave up. I do not feel them anymore. I am thinking of this because he saved my life once. An eye for an eye, they say, a tooth for a tooth. I had given him a tooth for an eye, I think, because teeth grow back and eyes do not.

Suicide wasn't the most brilliant plan I'd ever had. I was young and foolish, frightened. I had never admitted it (nor will I ever) that Frieza terrified me. My image would simply not allow me to convey it. Defying him was the only way to keep my pride. He did all sorts of things to me to make me yield, but I would have none of it. Not until he broke my tail.

I was certain I was done after that. Despite the fact that the healing chamber had fixed it, something in me had changed.

I thought it would be easier (cleaner) if I did it with a gun. I didn't really know if it would kill me or not. I had my defenses down; perhaps a shot through my temple would have killed me. I never got to find out, clearly. That big buffoon stopped me at the last second, picked me up like a baby and put me to bed. How old was I, six? I could have walked.

_Prince Vegeta, please don't…_

It all worked out anyhow, with Frieza dead and all…but still.

An eye for an eye; perhaps I should have spared his life, if only to repay my dept. I don't like depts. Dying by my own hand was stupid and cowardly, and in hindsight, I appreciate that he stopped me.

An eye for an eye…

I inhale deeply again and press my lips together as I exhale through my nose. The sun has climbed high in the sky; Earth summers have a heat like my own planet did, though more humid, more smothering. I don't know if I prefer humidity or dry heat. Actually, I do not prefer heat at all. To my dismay (since the wretch I served for years was unnaturally fond of it), I prefer the cold.

Another part of me likes the heat.

Something happened to me on Namek. Kakarot says someone called a Kai explained to him that such things happen during emotional trauma, but seeing as I went through that for most of my life without interruption, I do not know if this is true.

I have something that the Earthlings call an alter ego.

_Very_ alternate.

* * *

I frowned as I felt a sort of shift in the air. I rise from the floor, where Gohan was playing, and head for the backyard.

"Goku?" Chichi asked, seeing me go.

"Hm?" I ask, stopping.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm just going to check on Vegeta."

She frowned, glared. "Is he causing trouble again somewhere?"

"No," I answered. "He's in the plum tree." He's always in the plum tree. "I think he's different again."

She knows what I mean, and her glare softened.

I hopped out the back window, pretending not to hear Chichi yelling at me to use the door. I ought to kill Vegeta for bragging about Saiyan hearing. I have to find a new excuse now.

Vegeta has been…strange, since Namek. Not that I knew him well enough to compare, but even so, something about him seems different. He hasn't killed anything other than game since he came here, and I was really expecting some type of fight with him. But no, nothing. He's simply hunted, trained, and sat in that plum tree, always thinking. I've caught him once watching Gohan play, and I really wonder what he thinks kids normally do, because he always stares at my son like he's grown an extra head.

The plum tree isn't far. It's on the very edge of our large backyard, facing down the mountain and towards the West. It's a beautiful place to watch the sunset. I often went there before Vegeta came here to watch it, but I don't do it much anymore, not from the plum tree. Sometimes, though, when I just want some plums, I'll sit at the bottom and scarf some down while he sits in the branches and (very unenthusiastically) chews his own. He never says a word to me.

We used to spar in the deserts sometimes. We would go Super Saiyan and train, but he was always silent. He would simply scowl at my taunts and swing punches or kicks, or throw blasts, but he doesn't get involved in the bickering part of it. I was surprised; Vegeta was a professional trash-talker in our first battle. Anyway, we don't spar in deserts anymore, because Vegeta doesn't like the heat. Even when we do spar, it's for short periods of time. He always wants to stop when he gets hot. It surprised me at first that he suddenly had something against heat, especially since I knew Vegeta-sei was a desert planet.

I stepped over the tree roots when I reach them; the tree is relatively young - no, it's in it's prime maturity - as far as grown trees go, but the roots are thick and the trunk is tall. "Vegeta?" I called up.

Something shifted in the branches, and a small, lithe shape suddenly fazed onto a branch maybe 30 feet away, eyes glowing soft golden yellow before they fade to pale teal.

"He's not here," came a smug, sly voice.

I frowned a little and cocked my head. "Uh huh. And when did you get here?"

"Just now," the voice said, sounding slightly devious. The shape reached out and grabbed a higher branch, swinging his legs up and over until he disappears into the leaves again.

"Hey, would you come down here for a second?" I called.

"No."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Chichi often calls me immature, but sometimes Vegeta makes me look like a very wise man. "You're behaving like a child," I said.

"So?"

"Aren't you worried about being 'dignified'?"

Silence, then, "I think I was a pretty dignified kid." The statement is thoughtful.

I rolled my eyes and put my hands on my hips, as if I really am talking to a little kid. "You never were a kid, you know," I reminded him sternly.

He swung in front of me suddenly, hanging up-side-down by his knees with his arms hanging down limply. His blond hair glimmered as it fell, a bit too slow for his quick movements, and his teal eyes glittered with mischief.

"I know," Majin said, grinning.

I sighed.

* * *

I sighed.

"Something wrong, Bulma-chan?" my mother asked.

I sighed again, puffing my blue bangs out of my face. They land perfectly on the side of my head, right where I want them. "I'm just lonely, Mama." I only call her that when I'm particularly depressed. "My life is so boring right now." I leaned my cheek against my hand as I say this, my elbow resting on the arm of the patio chair that I have on my deck. Mama has brought me up milk and cookies, which I always say I'm too old for but eat anyway. I've been sitting here for an hour, my PC in my lap, on but un-used.

"Oh dear," Mother said, smoothing her blonde hair, "I know how much it takes to keep you busy. Why don't you call up Yamcha, dear?"

I scowled heavily, something like a low, dangerous growl rising slightly in my throat. My shoulders hunched, and I sank down a little bit further into the plush cushions of my chair. "I dumped his sorry ass a week ago, Mama."

She puts a hand on her breast dramatically, her lips forming an 'o'. "Oh my! I forgot. What has that handsome young man done now, sweetie?"

"Making eyes at other women again!" I raged, blowing my fallen bangs out of my eyes once more. "That little pervert…makes me sick. 9 years of faithfulness, and this is what I get? And then on top of things, I check his phone _once_ and he's got a text from some girl! No wonder he kept missing my calls, with his phone on silent to hide those messages! Ugh!"

Mother patted my head and bit into a cookie as she sat down. "That's terrible, darling," she said earnestly. "Dreadful." She looked prideful and confident all of a sudden, wearing an expression that normally doesn't fit her innocent face. "You're too good for him, that's what. You need someone who really appreciates you."

My scowl deepened. "I know, Mother, but I don't know anybody who would want me for me, and not my money. I've known Yamcha for years…it's different. And," I stated, raising my voice, "if he's willing to total our relationship on floozies, then that clearly shows he doesn't give a damn about money! He just wants a lady friend, and apparently I'm inadequate!"

"Language, dear," Mother sighed. "Some men are never satisfied, that's all. You're perfectly adequate."

"I know! I'm young, smart, rich, beautiful…he should be on his knees begging for me to take him back! He should be as loyal as a golden retriever!"

Mother reminded me that he had come back begging, and that I had just turned him down…which was the right thing to do. "You just have to move on, dear. Why, I'm sure there's a handsome Prince out there, just waiting for you to find him!" she gushed, clasping her hands.

I sighed. "I guess so." _Sure, Mama._

She was quiet for a moment, biting her lip as she thought, a habit I've inherited. When deep in thought, I chew my lower lip and drum my fingers, another habit I picked up from Dad. "Why don't you call up Juuhachi-gou?"

Juuhachi-gou Gero, my best friend. I thought for a minute before I nodded. Mother handed me my cellphone – I raised my brow, wondering why she had my phone anyway – and smiled, stealing one more cookie before she practically danced out of my room. I sighed and bit into my own cookie as I dialed her number – _Mmm_, chocolate-chip, my _favorite_ – being quick to swallow before she answered.

"Yeah?" She never answers with hello.

"Hey Juu," I said sullenly. "Want to go shopping?"

"Bout time," she muttered. "I'll be there in an hour."

Juu was there in exactly one hour, just like she said. Juu is never late. She is blonde, with shoulder length hair that's the same length as mine. Juu has ice-blue eyes, a shade lighter than my own, and petite features that makes a lot of girls jealous. She's my prettiest friend, which is one reason that I like to hang with her so much, because I know she's plenty gorgeous enough to not be jealous of me. What's more, her father is almost as rich as my father. There's no competition between us to be concerned for.

"About time you got up off your ass!" Juu said, half scolding. That's another thing I love about her; she tells it to me straight. "I've got to find you a boyfriend."

She doesn't have a boyfriend either, so I just smiled and shook my head. "I'm here to look for shoes, not men," I said firmly. "I'm tired of men. Let's go do something fun."

Juu grabbed my arm and started dragging me down the street. "Perfect! We're getting shoes, and I need a new dress, and _you _need a manicure –"

I laughed. Juu is crazy.

* * *

I examined my nails as we walked. They had just dried, and were looking much better than before.

"Better?" Juu asked knowingly.

I smiled and nodded. "Definitely."

"Good," she said, satisfied. "Now, I've got my dress, and you've got your manicure, so now we just need –"

"Shoes!" I cried happily.

"You think they still have that Coach pair I wanted in Vonmaur?" she asked.

"I hope so," I said earnestly, "and I hope they still have those high-heeled boots I wanted. Weren't they cute?"

"Those boots were hot," Juu agreed. "I was thinking about getting a similar pair."

"I thought you'd be totally against anything twinsie," I grinned.

She rolled her blue eyes. "Just because Jin is an asshole doesn't mean I can't have cute boots," she said stubbornly.

I giggled. "Yeah, I know." Jin, short for Jinzoningen Gero, was Juu's twin, and they were complete opposites and complete matches. They could both be stoic, though Juu more so than Jin, and they could both be cocky and arrogant. Both were smart, but Jin was a typical, car-loving guy and Juu was a typical shoe-loving girl. They were always certain the other was wrong, always certain that they were the smarter one of the twins. On top of that, Jin's hair was naturally jet-black (don't ask), and yet their eyes were so alike you couldn't tell one pair from the other. Jin was a bit more playful than Juu, though he's always cool and collected, and never yells about anything unless he is _pissed_.

"Hey," I said, "Let's get some accessories. My favorite pair of hoops broke." I pouted, remembering.

"Not those cute ones with the string of silver twined around them?"

"Yes, those."

"Oh, that sucks! C'mon, I see a jewelry stand. This one must be new, or I'd have seen it," she mused.

I glanced over and nodded; I hadn't seen it before either. We headed over to the stand, and the deceivingly friendly salesman who smiled warmly at us as though we were dear friends. He had dark hair and hazel eyes, and a small, fake smile that instantly irritated me. "G'day, Ladies," he said cheerfully, in a thick Australian accent, "What can I get'cha?"

"Just browsing for now," I said. Juu has already begun scouring the stand, looking over glass necklaces and ribbons to hang them on. Some baubles were already adorned with chains or ribbons and hanging on faceless busts, and adjustable mirrors were sitting by so you could hold up a necklace to see how it looked. Juuhachi-gou very much liked soft, sky blues and cheerful lime greens, but I preferred pinks and oranges. The stand was organized according to color, so I ended up browsing the side opposite her. I glanced over them swiftly, then glanced over them again. They were pretty, but nothing spectacular, even though I had money to waste. Suddenly, I realized I had missed one.

I gazed at it, shocked and awestruck. I blinked, swallowed, and then finally, it hit me.

_I found it…_

I snatched the necklace, an orb perhaps the size of a baseball, with a wide, silver-colored bellcap and chain. "How much is this?" I demanded.

The man looked smug. "That one was found and handcrafted by Yours Truly," he said proudly. "It's real silver, so…I'll take 400 Zeni for it."

"Done," I said immediately. The price is outrageous; an experienced heiress like me can spot fake gold or silver a mile away. I ought to have this man arrested. Had it been any other time, I'd have chewed him out and sued him dry. But he doesn't know what he's offering me, how underpriced it is. He doesn't know that he is giving me a piece of treasure far beyond any payable expense. He is selling me something priceless for the amount I sometimes spend on shoes that I'll only wear once.

He looked surprised at how easily I give in, and even more so that I don't use my credit card, but he pockets the cash anyway and put the necklace in a stylish silver bag with soft pink stripes. "There you are, miss," he said, handing it to me.

I took it greedily from his hands and walked around to grab Juu's arm, pulling her away before she has the chance to decide on her necklace. "Let's go!" I said sharply.

"Hey!" she objected. "I wasn't finished!"

"Oh yes you are," I said, continuing my march. "This is important Juu, believe me – stop struggling! – you won't regret it for a minute!"

She dug her heels into the ground and forces us to stop. "What has gotten into you?" she demanded.

The smile of absolute joy I'd been fighting bloomed on my face. "Look what I've got," I said, reaching into the little bag. I took the necklace out and showed it to her excitedly.

Juu stared at it quizzically. "B, I can see that to be used as a house ornament, not a necklace. What'd you by that for?"

I shook my head, trying to keep my composure since we were still in public. "Juu, do you know what this is?"

"No," she said slowly, looking at me as though I'd grown another head.

"This is a Dragon Ball. The Six Star Ball, to be exact, and it is one piece of seven that will grant us any wish we want."

Her ice-blue eyes widened, and she grinned too. She knows the legend.

"What will we wish for?" she asked. We're both trembling with excitement, on the verge of jumping and squealing, so I made our mission clear quickly.

"Boyfriends, of course."

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**Well? How was it? Much better this time around, yes? For those of you who are reading this for the first time, I hope you enjoyed it.**

**For new readers, here's what happened. **

**After the events of the Saiyan Saga, Goku and Krillin went to Namek. They managaed to get a hold of the Dragon Balls in a similar fashion to that of the canon, and Krillin wished Piccolo back and to Namek while Vegeta slept and Goku healed after the battle with Ginyu. Frieza showed up, and killed Vegeta and Krillin in the same way. Goku transformed. Due to Kami making a wish on Earth Dragon Balls, Vegeta was resurrected. His fury and humiliation caused him to transform as well, and the two defeated Frieza easily. The planet did not blow up, and the Namekians did not come to Earth. As a result of his transformation, and because he did not have emotions like love and friendship to balance him, his persona split, which he did not discover until he became too hot once he moved to Earth. More of this will be discussed in chapter two.**

**BEFORE YOU ASK, yes, Juuhachi-gou Gero is Android 18. Android 17's name, Jinzoningen Gero, was chosen because Juunana-gou is too similar to Juuhachi-gou. **

**AGES: *Note for those who read the original: ages are different***

**Vegeta: 26**

**Majin: Technically….2 years old.**

**Goku: 24**

**Chichi: 24**

**Gohan: 4**

**Bulma: 25**

**Juu: 25**

**Jin: 25**

**Yamcha: 26**

**Krillin: 25**

**Review please! You know what happens if you don't! *pats garbage can evilly***

**~KimiruMai**


	2. Laugh

**Holy crap…you guys really like this. 24 Reviews for chapter 1 alone! Thank you!**

**Anyhow…on a random note, has anybody heard the song Calling All The Monsters? I think that's the most mature Disney song in creation…it's like _actual_ music. **

**I find the awesomest songs watching AMVs. ****For example, Hip Like Badass. I dunno why, but that song cracks me up XD**

**I've decided to use limited Japanese terms here, like sometimes saying (haha, Saiyan) Saiyajin, nani…and during fighting scenes, a curse or two XD**

**Disclaimer: GT is an abomination. That's all I'm gonna say. **

**Song Prompt: False Pretense ~ Red Jumpsuit Apparatus**

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**Chapter 2: Laugh**

_If a tree falls in the middle of the forest and no one's around to hear it, does it make sound?_

His laughter is different.

I noticed it the very first time I met him. Majin, I mean. Vegeta's laughter is dark and dangerous, enough to send shivers up your spine. It is often laced with either bitterness or bloodlust. I don't know which is worse. Majin's is different. It's loud and cheerful, genuine. He laughs at funny things; Vegeta laughs at humiliating things.

Majin, still hanging upside-down, lifted one arm and pointed at me, laughing. "You should see your face," he snickered.

I scowled.

"Oh, God, that's worse!"

"Would you shut up?" I said. I could feel a vein throbbing in my forehead, a trait that I could swear I didn't have before Vegeta came to Earth. "Get down before you kill yourself."

"Yes, because trees are sooo dangerous."

I bared my teeth at him, and he laughed again.

At first, I didn't understand why he called himself Majin. Majin meant Devil or Demon in Japanese, which confused me. He was a perfect opposite of Vegeta, who, according to my friends, was the very essence of the devil, so I figured he'd be kind of angelic. Boy, was I wrong. Majin is about as close to a demon as you can get. I've never seen a man that gets into so much trouble before, and that's coming from _me_. He's a devil child, that's for sure. It really didn't take me long to figure it all out…maybe a few hours after his first transformation.

_*Flashback* _

_I felt a shift in the air. I frowned and looked up from my food. Chichi stared at me quizzically; normally, a tornado couldn't stop me from eating. "Something wrong, Goku-san?" _

_I swallowed and thumped my chest to push the food down, shaking my head. "Somethin' just felt weird for a sec, is all." _

_She cocked her head, in that cute little way that I adore, and asked, "Weird how?" _

"_I dunno, just weird." _

_She rolled her eyes and kissed my cheek as she served me more eggrolls. "You're hopeless, Goku-san," she said fondly. _

_I laughed. "I know."_

_Vegeta wasn't at the table. He never ate with us. Chichi would just leave a table full of plates for him, and they'd be empty in the morning. So, you can imagine how I surprised __was __when he suddenly capered down the stairs, in Super Saiyan form, no less, with a giant smile on his face._

"_Oh, great, lunch!" he cried. "I'm starving!" Then, right before our very eyes, he sat down beside Gohan and started eating. We gaped, even Gohan. Despite my son's age of 2, even he knew that Vegeta was the definition of anti-social. Vegeta just ignored us all, only pausing to say, "This tastes great, Kakarot's woman." _

_Chichi blinked, and even though she normally won't respond to him when he uses my Saiyan name, or when he refers to her as my 'woman', she was so shocked that she said, "Um…thank you, Vegeta." _

_He grunted, teal eyes flicking to her for a minute before he resumed eating a chicken leg. _

_There was a long, almost deafening silence before I finally broke it. "Um…Vegeta?" _

"_Yeah?" _

"_Are you okay?" _

"_Perfect. Why do you ask?" _

"…_You're acting kind of weird." _

_He stopped eating and looked up, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I am?" _

_I stared at him. "Yes." _

_He blinked. "Oh." Then he shrugged, and started eating again. _

_I gaped, then closed my mouth. "Why are you in Super Saiyan?" _

"_Dunno. I can't turn back." _

"_Can't…turn back?" _

"_Yeah, you know, to base form. I can't."_

_My mouth fell open again. "Are you sick?" _

_He laughed. _Laughed. _"Don't be silly, Kakarot. I can't get sick, I'm a Saiyan." _

_I was seriously getting creeped out now. Vegeta doesn't use words like 'silly'. He uses words like 'moronic' or 'idiotic' or 'mental'. And he sure as hell didn't laugh. He snickered, and he mocked. He did not laugh. _

"_Wanna train?" he said suddenly, holding his fork high above his head and slurping noodles off, his neck craned so he could look at me. That's another thing…I've only ever seen Vegeta eat once, but he had perfect manners. Vegeta doesn't slurp. He just doesn't. _

"_Uh…sure –" _

"_Great! Let's bring the kid with us!" he smiled, and ruffled Gohan's hair fondly. Gohan blinked, completely surprised, and stared at him with big eyes. _

_I raised an eyebrow. "Vegeta…you hate kids." _

_He stuck his tongue out at me. "Nuh uh." _

"_Are you _sure_ you're okay?" Chichi asked, baffled. _

"_I'd be better if I had more chicken," he said, smacking his lips loudly. _

_Chichi served him more slowly, as if she was afraid he would spontaneously combust. "You look…awfully happy today, Vegeta," she said carefully. _

"_I slept well," he nodded. _

"…_Vegeta, it's the middle of the afternoon. You haven't _been _asleep," I pointed out. _

_He looked at the clock, then shrugged. "I felt like I was dreaming," he said thoughtfully. _

"_About what?" I asked. _

"_I dreamt it was really cold, but then it got really hot, so I woke up," he said, very seriously. _

_Chichi and I looked at each other. "Vegeta," I said slowly, "are you absolutely positive that nothing's wrong?" _

"_Absolutely," he said firmly. _

"_So…it doesn't bother you that you can't go back to base form?" _

"_Nope!" _

_I bit the inside of my lip, thinking. Finally, I said, "This could be really bad. You realize that, right Vegeta?" _

"_Quit calling me that," he replied. _

_I blinked. "It's your name. You…you love your name." I was stunned. _

_His eyebrows crinkled, and he held up his index finger to silence me while he dramatically swallowed. Then he said, "I like Majin better." _

_The next morning, Vegeta had black hair again. He seemed especially grumpy, and didn't seem to recall any of the events yesterday, not even the full out fight-to-the-death 'spar' we'd had yesterday. He was confused about where all the bandages came from, and he didn't smile once or laugh the whole day. I tried to call him Majin, like he requested, and he told me that if I ever called him that again he'd slit my throat. _

_I didn't get it until he came to dinner again a few days later with sun-blonde hair and teal eyes. King Kai gave me a very strange answer when I asked. _

_*End flashback*_

"So, whataya want?" Majin asked.

I blew a puff of air past nearly closed lips. "Just coming to check on you."

"What for? I'm not a baby."

"I know…but you get into trouble if I don't watch you," I said.

He laughed. "Get out," he said, his voice full of chipper sarcasm.

I rolled my eyes. "Last time I left you out on your own, you spray painted 'Prince of Saiyans' on the side of a middle school in West City." It was actually pretty good graffiti, the letters written in traditional Japanese and yet completely disfigured and stretched in crazy calligraphy, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

He laughed at again and gripped the branch with his hands, wrapping his legs around it so he was hanging from it like a lemur. He reached up and grabbed a plum, sinking his teeth into it. The purple fruit made a soft squishing sound, and the juice dribbled down his chin. I grimaced; hopefully Vegeta didn't turn back anytime soon, or he'd be pissed. "That was pretty good, wasn't it?" he said with a full mouth.

"No! That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you. You can't do stuff like that."

"I bet those kids got a kick out of it," he said smugly.

"And I'm sure the kid that got blamed for it didn't," I said dryly.

He laughed again and took another bite out of his plum, licking a purple drop off his sharp canine as he suddenly got a thoughtful look on his face.

"Oh, no," I muttered.

"I'm bored," he said suddenly.

"Crap," I groaned.

"Let's do something _fun_," he said. He looked mischievous.

"No. No, no no, no. Whatever you're planning, the answer is no," I said firmly, waving my arms to make my answer even more extravagant.

"You're no fun, Kakarot," he pouted. I sighed; I can't get Majin to call me Goku either. "We could go jack some motorcycles."

"You make me seem really responsible, you know that?" I said, rubbing my temples.

He grinned.

"Goku-san! Vegeta-san! Dinner is ready!" Chichi called out the window.

I had barely turned around to yell a reply when I suddenly felt a sharp gust of wind fly past me. My eyes closed on instinct and goosebumps rushed up my arms, and when I opened my eyes again, Majin was gone. I sighed again and started walking back to the house. Halfway there, I heard Chichi scream. I didn't change my pace. Eventually, her screaming turned into words, which only served to further the annoyance I'd built up from two minutes of dealing with Majin.

"VEGETA, I'VE TOLD YOU, NO FLYING IN THE HOUSE!"

"I've told _you_ that's not my name. And I caught it, anyway. What's the big deal?"

"The BIG DEAL is that you made me drop it in the first place! This is china!"

"Well, what in Kami's name are you using china for? You know one of us is going to break it." I frowned at that; one of us meant either him or me…but somehow I was the one that always got in trouble for it.

Chichi's voice lowered. I nearly laughed as I stepped in the door to watch the scene; Chichi looked livid, and Majin just looked bemused. Finally, Chichi took a deep breath and sighed, loosening her tense shoulders. "Because it's your birthday."

He blinked and stared at her with wide teal eyes. Then he said, "No it isn't."

"Yes it is," Chichi insisted. "This is the 2nd anniversary of the day you were 'born'. As Majin."

He cocked his head in a curios manner. "Is it really?" he asked.

"Yes," Chichi said in a firm voice, nodding decisively.

He blinked at her once again. Then he looked at the food. "Oh…Okay," he said acceptingly, then went to sit down.

I smiled and walked over to Chichi, taking a giant plate out of her hands. Her already flushed cheeks darkened when I kissed her cheek, and my smile widened. "That was really sweet. Thanks, Chi," I said softly, then went to sit the plate down in the middle of the table. She smiled.

* * *

"How are we going to go about finding the others?" I asked.

Bulma grinned at me. "Oh, come now, Juu. Who do you think I am? I am Bulma Briefs, and I can invent anything! I'll make a locator, that's what."

I nodded, expecting something of the sort. "You think it'll be able to find all of them based on just one?"

"Well, they're all made of the same thing, whatever it is. Can't be that difficult."

"How long do you think that'll take?"

"I don't know. A week, maybe? Couldn't tell ya. I'll pack up a little Capsule House so we can put all our stuff in there. God, who knows what kind of clothes we'll need? We might as well pack our whole rooms!"

"Whoa, Bulma," I laughed. "Calm down. We can buy things as we go, you know."

"I don't want to waste time shopping for things!" she yelled exasperatedly.

"That's a first."

"Oh, you hush. I'm so excited right now, not even your sarcasm can get me down." She paused and looked thoughtful. "We'll probably need some man-power. Do you think Jin could –"

"No," I said immediately.

"But –"

"NO."

"Aw, c'mon Juu," she pleaded, batting her lashes at me. "Pretty please? Jin's not so bad."

I scowled at her antics. "He is when you live with him. No way."

"But Juu, Jinzoningen is strong!"

"So'm I!"

"I know, but Jin is _stronger_. Not as kickass, but stronger," she said.

I didn't know whether I should be pleased or insulted…plus I knew she was just trying to butter me up. Still…Jin really isn't as kickass as me, I admit it, so I just said, "True."

"So can he –"

" – But still, no."

"Please, please please please please please please please please PLEASE –"

"Good God, Bulma, no, for crying out loud! Shut up!"

"I'm not going to stop begging till you say yes," she threatened, folding her arms.

I felt myself grow pale. "You wouldn't dare." Bulma can beg for hours on end.

"I would so. Don't make me do it, Juuhachi-gou."

I groaned. She only calls me that when she means business. "Why does it have to be Jinzoningen? Couldn't we get somebody else?"

She gave me a pointed look and put her hands on her hips. "Like who?" she demanded.

I opened my mouth, then closed it, and opened it again. "We could get some of the guys –"

"The "guys", assuming you're talking about our friends from college, consists of techie nerds and a perverted football player," she said. "I'm already a techie nerd, plus they aren't muscular. Now, since the ONE muscular guy we know is Roshi's pervert grandson, it's your pick. Him or Jin."

I shuddered. Muten "Oyster Hermit" Roshi had given me and Jin karate lessons when we were kids. Of course, we had adopted our own styles of fighting after leaving his 'dojo', which was just an island in the middle of nowhere. Bulma had taken lessons for a while, but stopped after she broke her arm, so she only knew the basics. But that was beside the point. The point was that Roshi had a notoriously dirty mind, like his supposedly famous brother (_I_'d never met him), and his kids and grandchildren were no different. Don't ask how he got a wife, or how she stood 20 years of the man before she left.

I sighed. "Fine. I don't even know where he is, anyway."

I was lying, and she knew it, because she grinned widely and pulled a capsule out of her purse. With a loud _pop_, her red convertible appeared on the street. We hopped in and drove home, her chattering my ear off and me sulking.

* * *

I felt my left eye twitching as they carried on. Kakarot had instigated his mate into singing 'Happy Birthday' at the top of their lungs, and Kakabrat was singing in a happy squeal on top of them. I stared at my plate, already eating, because I knew my cheeks were burning, and my skin was much paler when I was a Super Saiyan. Kakarot would get a kick out of that. He loves to embarrass me, and he's remarkably good at it.

I'm better, but eh.

" – HAPPY Birthday to YOU!" they finished, completely off key.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not my birthday," I told them for the millionth time. "That was completely unnecessary."

Kakarot grinned and elbowed me. "Everybody likes birthday songs, Majin."

"Not me," I said.

"Aw, c'mon, you know you loved it."

My cheeks darkened again, and I bared my teeth at him. He laughed.

"How old are you, Mr. Majin?" Gohan asked me.

I blinked and recalled what Kakarot's woman had said about this fake "birthday", and replied, "I'm tw –"

"Twenty-six, sweetie," Chichi interrupted me to answer him. "He's twenty-six." She gave me a look that said "don't corrupt my child's mind", which I get often and always pointedly ignore.

"Yeah, I'm not an old man, Kid. Quit calling me mister."

"Okay." There was a pause, then, "Can I call you Oji-san?"

I shook my head. Raditz was his Oji-san, not me. "Just Majin, Kid."

Gohan looked disappointed. "Kay."

I sighed. "If you want, you can call me Ouji-sama."

He brightened immediately. "Mister Vegeta, too?"

I shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Kakarot scratched his chin. "Say, when _is_ you're real birthday, Majin?"

I rolled my eyes. "That's for me to know, and you to _never_ find out." I did not want a "Happy Birthday to You" repeat…and I enjoyed getting on Kakarot's nerves.

"Aw, c'mon, it wasn't that bad –"

"I'll sock you in the mouth, Kakarot."

He raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm just asking. Anyway, you can punch me in the face after dinner. I want to spar."

"Well, maybe I wanna spray paint."

"Don't you even think about it," Chichi hissed.

I grinned at her, and when she turned back around, I stuck my tongue out too. Kakarot laughed. "We can do some sparring first," he said.

"Goku-san!" Chichi exclaimed, whirling from the counter.

"What? I'm sure I can find a big old bolder for him to spray paint."

She sighed.

"Fine," I agreed. "But Kakabrat has to train too."

"He's only four!" Chichi snapped at me. "My baby is growing up to be a great scholar, not a fighter."

"He's a Saiyan!" I cried, appalled.

"Half! That's different!"

I slammed my hands on the table and stood up. "As long as there is breath in my body, every living being with Saiyan blood will fight and like it!" I declared.

"Oh no you don't, you Saiyajin no Ouji –" she started, pointing an accusing finger at me. Before she could finish, I picked up Gohan by the back of his shirt and literally flew out the window. I laughed over his yelps of terror, Chichi's screams of rage, and Kakarot's pathetic attempts to console her. I spiraled as I flew, then grinned as I notice we were over a big river…my favorite one to swim in. I dropped Gohan in, and he yelped as he fell into the water. I laughed again and cannon-balled in with a whoop, not bothering to go after him. I hadn't ever told Chichi I'd taught him to swim.

* * *

I pulled into Juu's driveway, only grabbing the Dragon Ball before I capsulized it. She was still sulking, arms folded and her lip stuck out a little bit. I almost giggled; she looks like a little kid when she sulks. "Come on, Juu, he's not that bad," I said, trying to console her.

"He is so that bad!" she hissed. "How would you like it if Yamcha was coming?"

I scowled heavily at her. "That's entirely different. He's an ex-boyfriend, not my brother."

"Well, maybe I hate Jin as much as you hate Yamcha," she said stubbornly.

"That's so not true, and you know it. You'd be bawling your eyes out if Jinzoningen died, whereas I've told Yamcha to go die in a hole many times."

She hmphed and folded her arms as we walked inside. "You just think Jin is cute."

I laughed. "He is. But Jin is like my brother, so don't even go there."

"Don't even go where?" came a voice from the living room. I glanced towards the couch, where Jin is sitting sideways with his feet lazily propped up, flipping channels with a bored look on his face. His shoulder-length, stick-straight black hair is tied back in a messy ponytail on the back of his head, with a few shorter pieces still falling loose around his face. His ice blue eyes, perfect mirrors of Juuhachi-gou's, trail from the TV to us in a manner that anyone else would have viewed as obnoxious, but what I view as indifferent.

"Nowhere," Juu said a little too quickly. "Absolutely nowhere."

"Uh huh," he said, sitting up. He gave her a very suspicious look, his sharp blue eyes narrowing and his jaw setting, and his lips set in a firm line. She mirrored it on instinct, and I laughed. Watching them argue was hilarious to me for some reason; had been since we were kids.

"Come on, Juu," I said after my giggles had subsided. "Just tell him."

His irritated look disappeared, replaced with one of sudden though suspicious curiosity. "Tell me what?"

Juu grumbled something.

"What?"

She grumbled it louder.

"Jeez, Juuhachi, I can't understand what you're saying!" he said exasperatedly.

'Juuhachi' scowled fiercely (only Jin is allowed to call her that, though I often call them both by nicknames other than their designated ones), and finally said, "We found a Dragon Ball and we're going to look for it and you're coming because we need male accompaniment."

Jin blinked. Then he grinned devilishly.

"That so?" he said slyly.

"I hate you," Juu seethed.

"Who needs male accompaniment?" said a male voice.

I whirled to face the speaker, who, too my dismay, was not Jinzoningen. "What are you doing here?" I hissed. Juu promptly started cracking up, even going so far as to bury her face in her brother's shoulder and beat his chest with her fist. He gave her a 'what's so funny?' look, but she only laughed harder.

I scowled fiercely at her, then turned to glare at the intruder. "Yamcha, what are you doing here?" I demanded again.

Yamcha looked at me rather peevishly. "I can come over to my friend's house, you know."

"They're _my _friends, not yours."

Yamcha – ex-boyfriend and jerk extraordinaire. He's tall, taller than me or Juu or Jin, with a long black ponytail that _could_ be tamed if he brushed it through more often. He has a scar on his left cheek and another over his right eye, acquired during his time spent in the desert. Yamcha had been a thief, and a skilled one…but he'd thought twice about stealing again after my ingenious trap caught him while he was trying to steal from me. I'd brought him back to the city, set him up with the best school I could, got him started in a real life. He played baseball, and was his team's best hitter and pitcher…

And despite his initial "fear" of girls, he'd turned into a real womanizer over the years.

"I think that's up to them," Yamcha said. He had a sandwich in his hand, a bit sloppily made, which caused me to notice it was the kind I always made him, the kind that was his favorite.

"Juu doesn't like you any more than I do," I snapped.

"And Jinzo?" he asked, a little mockingly for my taste.

"Okay, you know what? First of all, Jinzo is _my_ name for him. Second, Jin could be damned for all I care, but Juu can still kick you out of her house."

"Hey!" Jin objected.

"You're being really immature, Bulma," Yamcha said disdainfully.

I snorted. "Me? Immature? Please. Immature is cheating on your girlfriend of nine years, especially one who could have and would have given you anything and everything. _That_, my friend, is immature and selfish and just…just stupid."

He opened his mouth, the closed it again, looking very much like a baffled fish.

"Still can't win an argument, Yamcha?" I asked mockingly.

He scowled. "Nobody can win an argument against you. Don't even try to play me like that."

I shrugged. "True. Why are you here, anyway?"

"To see Jinzoningen," he answered. "Why are _you_ here?"

"To see Jinzoningen," I answered back sharply.

"Liar," Jin said to my ex. "You were looking for B-chan, Yamcha."

"Oh, were you now?" I said, putting my hands on my hips.

He blushed as he scowled, and looked away.

"Well, what did you want?" I demanded.

"I just wanted to talk to you. We kind of left things on a sour note –"

"_Kind_ of?" I scowled.

"Alright," he snapped, "we left things on a seriously bad note. I just wanted to patch things up. Sheesh."

"Don't you sheesh me, like I'm the bad guy."

Yamcha's brows furrowed, and he really looked like he wanted to explode but knew better. Finally, he let out a very controlled sigh and squared his shoulders. "So, you need male travel buddies?"

My eyes narrowed to slits. "No."

"But you just said –"

"I know what I said! Jin will be enough!"

"Well," Yamcha reasoned, "there are two of you, and only one of him. That's not really fair to Jinzoningen, is it? I'm sure he doesn't want to be all alone with just you and his sister."

"What that's supposed to mean?!" I yelled.

"Nothing…just that he'd probably like a guy to talk to, is all," he said, looking over my shoulder at the raven. "Right Jin? C'mon, back me up here, buddy."

Jin shrugged. "I guess."

"Jin!" I cried, horrified.

"Sorry, B-chan, but you and my bratty sister in a small space are a bad combination. Especially when it envolves me."

Juu punched him in the back of the head. "Don't act like you're so innocent," she said accusingly.

"You are absolutely not coming," I said to Yamcha. "This is my adventure, and I'm not having you along to screw it up."

"Look, B, you tend to get into trouble a lot. I'm just trying to protect you."

"I don't need your protection!"

"What if you come up against a gang of sleaze-balls or something?" Yamcha demanded. "Jin can't fight everyone off. Juu can't either. And you're…you're not the buffest of people. Just let me come with you. I swear I won't start anything."

I looked him in the eye with a death glare, and saw he was actually being sincere. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then folded my arms. "Alright," I relented (reluctantly, mind you), "You can come with us. BUT, you have to swear you won't try giving me puppy eyes to take you back, you absolutely cannot touch me unless it's an dire emergency or I give you permission, and you under no conditions whatsoever can screw up what Juu and I have planned."

Yamcha nodded and smiled.

"So…what _do_ you bakas have planned, anyway?" Jin asked, popping open a can of soda and chugging it.

"We're going to make a wish," Juu said, downing her own in a similar manner.

"A wish?" Yamcha raised his eyebrow.

"I found a Dragon Ball," I said, pulling it out of my bag. "See?"

The boys stared at it, slack jawed. Finally, Jin closed his mouth and swallowed, then asked, "And…we're wishing for what, exactly?"

"Our future husbands," I said casually, tucking it back into my purse.

"Perfect boyfriends," Juu added.

It was silent for a minute. Then, at the exact same time, Jin and Yamcha yelled, "PERFECT BOYFRIENDS?!"

* * *

**I know you're all **_**super**_** happy about this ^^ *sarcasm* *maybe***

**Well, unless you're new to this story, you know that Yamcha is basically going to royally screw things up. If you are new…well, that should be obvious. Question is…..how bad?**

**Mwah ha ha…and on that note, I bid you good day :3**

**REVIEW!**

**~KimiruMai**


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